1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a washing device for use in a toilet capable of washing the user's anus or the like body parts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When washing water is spouted from a washing nozzle of a washing device toward the private parts, too strong water jet stream may cause the user who is suffering from hemorrhoids to feel pain. Also, when used as a bidet, the water jet spouted from the nozzle is required to render a soft feeling. Japanese patent application published after examination (koukoku) No. 13688/1983 discloses a washing device which imparts a soft feeling to a water jet by mixing air into washing water to cause foaming.
As shown in FIG.5, the nozzle portion for spouting washing water includes a fixed nozzle and another nozzle attached to fit to the end of the fixed nozzle and having an air intake port. Namely, the washing device comprises a first nozzle portion 52 disposed at the bottom of a toilet seat 51, and a nozzle body 53 attached to the forward end of the first nozzle portion 52. Heated water spouted from the first nozzle portion 52 passes through a hollow passage 54 of the nozzle body 53, changes its flowing direction by the angle of 90.degree. in the midway of the passage 54 and then, spouts from a nozzle hole 55 toward the private parts. In this case, since an air suction port 57 is provided near a nozzle hole 56 of the first nozzle portion 52, heated water sucks up the air and mixes air therein, and is spouted from the nozzle hole 55 of the nozzle body 53 as a foam.
In the conventional device, however, heated water from the first nozzle portion 52 impinges on and scattered at the bent portion of the passage 54 of the nozzle body 53, and then passes through the rest of the passage 54 and spouted out from the nozzle hole 55 of the nozzle body 53. Thus, when impinged on the bent portion of the passage 54, the water engulfs and mixes the air which is sucked from the air suction port 57. Accordingly, the mixing ratio of the air in heated water tends to be inaccurate and insufficient. Also, since the water injected from the first nozzle portion 52 is inpinges onto the bent portion of the passage 54 and then changes its direction, energy loss is caused to the water jet and it may sometimes result in insufficient amount of the water jet stream. Furthermore, an introduced air amount is determined by the shape of the air suction port 57 of the nozzle body 53, and accordingly the mixing ratio of the air cannot be controlled. Also because nozzles employed in this device are of fixed construction, change in design to retractable nozzles and swinging nozzles is difficult. In addition, since the entire design of the nozzle is complicated, the nozzle, when stained with some filth, is hard to be cleaned off.